FRANKFORT, Ky. (10/30/13) – The Department for Natural Resources presented 12 Safest Mine Awards at the Kentucky Coal Association’s annual meeting in Lexington on Oct. 25, 2013. Each of the six Office of Mine Safety and Licensing Districts nominated an underground operation and a surface operation based on outstanding safety records throughout the year and beyond.

“Our mine safety analysts and inspectors have made mine safety a priority and the results are evident by these outcomes,” said OMSL Director Franklin Reed. “Mine safety begins with each individual miner, mine foreman and operator. We can continue these excellent results across all mines if everyone pays attention and practices mine safety.”

This year’s winners by district are shown below, along with number of employees, annual coal production and number of lost time accidents in 2012:

Madisonville District

• Underground: Sebree Mining LLC, Onton No. 9 mine: 311 employees produced an average of 13,200 tons daily with three lost time accidents.

• Surface: Western Kentucky Minerals Inc., Joe’s Run mine: 27 employees produced an average of 1,200 tons daily for 918 days without a lost time accident.

Barbourville District

• Underground: Bell County Coal Corporation, Garmeada No. 2 mine: 64 miners produced 216,955 tons of coal with one lost time accident.

• Surface: ICG Hazard, LLC Hazard Division, Thunder Ridge-Job 0122: 72 employees produced 551,557 tons of coal with no lost time accidents.Harlan District

• Underground: Harlan Cumberland Coal Company LLC, K3 mine: 23 miners produced 86,588 tons of coal with no lost time accidents.

• Surface: Fox Knob Coal Company Inc., Highwall Miner 64: 10 employees produced 55,728 tons of coal with no lost time accidents.

Martin District

• Underground: Eagle Coal Company Inc., mine No. 25: 48 employees produced 210,985 tons of coal with two lost time accidents.

• Surface: Licking River Mining LLC, Craft Creek mine42 employees produced 381,230 tons of coal with no lost time accidents.Hazard District

• Underground: Enterprise Mining Company LLC, 9A mine: 100 employees produced 755,947 tons with two lost time accidents.

• Surface: James River Coal Service Company, Buckeye mine: 55 employees produced 249,977 tons of coal in 2012 and have had no lost time accidents since the operation began in January 2006.

Pikeville District

• Underground: Sidney Coal Company Inc. dba M3 Energy Mining Company, mine No. 1: 46 employees produced an average of 1,500 tons of coal per production shift and have gone 382 days without a lost time accident.

• Surface: Premier Elkhorn Coal Company Mine, Job No. 42: 40 employees produced an average of 3,600 tons daily with no lost time accidents.